Library and Archives
The library is a gathering place — both physical and virtual. It is not only a place where ideas are explored, concepts are learned and theories are unearthed, but where friends are met, relationships are forged and community is created. The library is the keystone of campus, a place of inspiration, imagination and initiative. Above all else, the library is people who make a difference.
The library’s positive learning environment and exceptional research collections continue to evolve with the help of donor investments. From the magnificent award-winning Stauffer Library to our unique special collections and the virtual library, we see the impact of our benefactors’ generosity. Our current priorities involve further development of our much-used physical spaces and the ongoing development of collections crucial for learning and research.
Library & Archives Goal: $5,000,000
Queen’s library system – the nerve network for learning, teaching and research – was not always so well housed. During the University’s fledgling years, the library resources moved from church towers to dusty attics to the dining room of Summerhill. Thanks to the foresight of alumnus Hugh Watson, who bequeathed money for a library fund, administrators and other donors, Queen’s library system spans the campus. To keep up with the changes in technology, information management and exponential growth in content, the Library requires a substantial fund to address the evolving learning and research needs.
The digital age has transformed learning, teaching and research. Information acquisition, management and access to digital resources is in constant evolution, and Queen’s must ensure that we have the funds to expand and improve access. With Digital Initiatives funds, we will digitize our library collections, establish new initiatives in scholarly communications, improve online access to Queen’s research and scholarship, and showcase our Special Collections.
Adding $1 million to our Acquisitions Endowment is important to the Library’s ability to meet its long-term, flexible plan of securing the print and electronic resources vital to academic programs, research, and teaching and learning environment.
A long archival tradition exists at Queen's University – from when the first archival document was presented to Queen's in 1869 to today where Archives houses approximately 10 km of textual records, 2 million photographs, tens of thousands of architectural plans and drawings, and thousands of sound recordings and moving images.
Our fundraising priorities focus on continuing the work we do, of managing, preserving, conserving, and making accessible the information assets of the University in support of the teaching, research, service, and administration interests of Queen's University and the broader community.
Queen’s Archives is alive with stories – not only the history of Queen’s and the people who have contributed to the University’s growth, but of Kingston and of generations of Canadians. The important work of maintaining the authentic record of the programs, people and operations of the University and the broader community, and providing archival management and conservation is increasingly complex and demanding as technologies and standards continue to evolve. The Friends of the Archives Fund enables the Archives to manage, conserve, preserve and make available our stories now and for generations to come.